Over the Threshold Read online

  Over the Threshold

  A Scoundrels Short Story

  By Mari Carr

  Smashwords Edition

  Copyright 2013 Mari Carr

  First electronic publication: July 2013

  Cover by Valerie Tibbs

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the writer’s imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locale or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Smashwords Edition, License Notes

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. It may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of these authors.

  Does she dare say those three little letters—I Do—that could change her whole life?

  Becca Preston is shocked when Hollywood megastar Parker Banks proposes to her on the Scoundrels stage. Though they’ve been friends for years, she’s been very careful to never blur that line. After all, she only has one hard and fast rule—no actors. Her famous father’s infidelities have taught her to keep a firm grip on her heart and she’s never been tempted to break that vow. Until Parker walked back into Scoundrels.

  Under the bright lights, he breaks down her resistance, opens her eyes to what could be and makes her question her decision to avoid love with movie stars.

  And what happens when the performance becomes real? When sex becomes tied up with emotions? Should Becca cling to her safe, yet lonely life or take a chance and make that trip over the threshold?

  This short story is the final installment of a trilogy of stories about Becca and Parker’s romance and it is connected to the Scoundrels series, available now at Ellora’s Cave. For better enjoyment, it is suggested that you read Behind the Scenes and Under the Lights before reading this book. Approximate word count is 6200 words.

  Chapter One

  Emma closed her eyes, resisting the urge to groan as Jack stroked her clit faster. They had claimed their usual corner table at Scoundrels, enjoying the premiere of her latest sex show together. However, the scene on the stage had taken a much different turn from the fantasy Emma had originally imagined. When she’d called Hollywood mega stud Parker Banks and invited him to make Becca’s dreams of being captured and ravished come to life onstage, she’d had no idea exactly how far he’d take things. Emma had always known there were feelings between her bartender and her former waiter, but she hadn’t realized exactly how deep they ran.

  “Who do you belong to?” Parker’s voice was deep and stern as it filled the auditorium, causing countless women to sigh and fall even more in love with the sexy movie star. Parker’s dominant tone reminded her so much of Jack’s commanding presence.

  She glanced at her husband, then parted her legs as his questing fingers found her wet opening. He pressed two inside as she trembled with need. It wasn’t unusual for them to play in the club. Their regular table was covered with a long cloth that shielded their actions, and its location at the back of the room ensured at least a tiny measure of privacy.

  Not that it mattered. The public setting fueled their arousals, caused them to take chances, to go further. Exhibitionism was a kink they shared.

  Jack leaned closer. “This show is hot.”

  She nodded, unable to speak when Jack added a third finger, stretching her so deliciously.

  “You’re going to come, right here at the table for me, Emma. Before the show is over. And then we’re going home so I can fuck you properly. All night.”

  Emma smiled at his proclamation, then upped the ante. “We can go home after I suck your cock in the parking lot.”

  Jack closed his eyes. “Fuck. I love you so much.”

  She laughed lightly, the sound morphing to a moan when Jack’s thumb began rubbing her clit as his fingers fucked her faster. Years of experimenting, of playing in public had taught her to school her features, to still her body’s reactions, but damn if Jack didn’t test her skills, push her limits every time. She was so close, her orgasm hovering right there, on the brink.

  Jack pressed his lips to her cheek. To anyone casually glancing around the room, they merely appeared to be cuddling, her husband offering her an amorous kiss. Only she knew that Jack had three fingers buried deep in her pussy, that his teeth had latched on to her earlobe—the pressure of his nip sending shards of pleasurable pain to all the right places—and that he was whispering some of the hottest, dirtiest, kinkiest promises of what he’d do to her later that she’d ever heard. The combination was deadly.

  Emma closed her eyes and fought to calm her shudders as her climax ripped through her. Jack’s fingers continued to thrust, drawing out her orgasm, though he’d slowed the pace. He’d become a master at reading her reactions, knowing exactly how to drive her to the peak…and beyond.

  She’d only just begun to catch her bearings, her senses returning, when her attention was drawn back to the show onstage. Parker was kissing Becca—the scene beautiful, romantic. Then Emma’s breath was taken away again.

  “Marry me,” Parker said to Becca as the crowd gasped.

  * * * * *

  Shea lifted her head, peering down to the stage as Travis fucked her from behind. They were watching the sex show through the one-way mirror in his office, positioned a story above and behind the stage. Her husband had taught her the beauty of voyeurism, introduced her to the pleasures to be found in watching others have sex, or at least Scoundrels’ oh-so-close version of it.

  Tonight’s show had aroused both of them more than usual. While it wasn’t as graphic as past performances, there was something about the way Becca and Parker were baring themselves—heart and soul—beneath the lights that spoke to Shea’s romantic side. Travis had admitted feeling the same way a few minutes earlier as he’d lifted her skirt and ripped off her panties.

  Travis’s rhythm faltered for a moment as he froze. “Did Parker just propose?”

  Shea nodded. “Yeah. I think he did.”

  “Holy shit. He just put Scoundrels on the map.”

  Shea giggled, then wiggled away. “Always the businessman. Way to kill the mood.”

  Travis shrugged good-naturedly before frowning as she stood. “Where do you think you’re going, angel?”

  She’d taken a few steps away, but his comment stopped her in her tracks. Parker’s proposal had distracted her until she watched her husband rise, his body tense and ready to pounce, sent shivers down her spine.

  She loved the thrill of the chase, those moments when she played hard to get and Travis captured her. Her love of bodice rippers had begun back in high school and had molded her desires. Luckily, her husband was everything she’d ever wanted in a hero—sexy, commanding, kinky. She laughed at the thought. The kink characteristic of her fantasy man hadn’t appeared until she’d started working at Scoundrels and met Travis.

  She took another step away, her heart racing with anticipation when Travis’ eyes narrowed. “I thought you’d lost interest. Figured you’d want to go out and buy a plaque to hang on the stage that said, ‘Parker Banks proposed here’ or something.”

  Travis placed his hands on his hips, the action drawing her attention back to his waist and his hard cock. “Shea. Get back here.”

  Her smile grew as she shook her head. “No. I don’t feel like it anymore.” Her tone was pure teasing, laced with the challenge her husband had yet to refuse.

  Travis pointed to the coffee table. “Get back w
here you were or else.”

  She loved his or else. Her ass clenched, anticipating exactly how wonderful his punishments could be. “No.”

  The single word had the desired effect as her husband sprang into action. He captured her before she’d managed to take two more steps. With strong hands on her upper arms, he dragged her back to her previous place, pushing her chest against the cool wood of the table. She groaned when he placed the first slap on her bare ass, moving toward the motion rather than away. She loved his spankings, his dominance, him.

  The lights of the stage faded to black, but Shea was no longer interested in anything except Travis’ hand on her ass, his cock in her pussy, his soft demands whispered in her ear. As he pumped inside her harder, driving her to orgasm, she forgot about the world and escaped into the sheer bliss of a life lived with the man she loved.

  * * * * *

  Becca struggled to catch her breath as the lights onstage faded to black casting them in shadow. The show ended with the impact of Parker’s last line still hovering in the air. Shock kept her silent as the house lights rose slowly, the soft murmur of the audience growing louder. She could hear the surprise, the confusion in the conversations as the patrons tried to figure out what they’d just seen, arguing over how much was pretend and how much was real.

  Becca held perfectly still as numbness set in.

  “You aren’t going into shock, are you?”

  Parker’s droll voice—mercifully quiet as the boom mic had been turned off—pulled her from her thoughts. “I’m f-fine.”

  His handsome grin told her he knew she was lying, but he let her off the hook. “What do you say we finish this conversation somewhere private?”

  Glancing toward the crowd, Becca watched as the bouncers tried to divert several women intent on coming up onstage to speak to Parker. She nodded. “Yeah. Looks like your adoring fans are about to descend.”

  Parker chuckled. “Take another peek. I don’t think I’m the only one dodging admirers tonight.”

  It was then Becca noticed there were more than a few men scattered amongst the women and they were definitely looking at her. “Wow. That’s disturbing.”

  Parker left the bed, laughing as he offered her a hand to help her up. “You might want to get used to that. I suspect Emma will move heaven and earth to get you back on this stage. That is, if a talent scout doesn’t scoop you up first.”

  She scoffed at his assertion, then started to correct him, to remind him that she’d lived her entire life with cameras flashing in her face as she walked down the street with her famous father. But she realized this wasn’t exactly the same thing. The tabloids were never really interested in her, just the company she kept. “I have no plans to switch careers. I’m perfectly happy as a bartender.”

  Parker took her hand, leading her to the dressing room as fans yelled out questions, tried to capture their attention. She walked gingerly, trying not to give away the fact Parker’s toys were still filling her. While the vibrator was off, she was uber-sensitive from her recent orgasm. Every step worked against her, reigniting an arousal she suspected wouldn’t be completely assuaged until Parker was buried deep inside her.

  They made it to the dressing room, but the cheering, the demands for an encore grew louder. Parker grabbed a jacket from the rack of costumes and slid it over Becca’s lingerie. “Grab your clothes. You can put them on in the limo. I’m not sure Emma’s bouncers are going to be able to hold back the throng for very much longer. We need to get out of here.”

  Parker helped her gather her things, plucking a Scoundrels souvenir t-shirt from a pile in the corner and donning it as they strode toward the rear door. A giant man Becca assumed was Parker’s driver-slash-bodyguard greeted them at the exit to the parking lot, hustling them to a long, sleek limousine as a large crowd started to appear.

  Lights began flashing as the car moved, taking them away from Scoundrels. They were two blocks away when Becca’s brain finally started working again. “Dammit. I forgot my purse. My house keys are in it. I need you to take me back.”

  Parker rolled his eyes. “We’re going to my house, Becca. You can get your purse tomorrow. Or maybe the day after. I intend to keep you pretty busy until then.”

  She glanced out the window and blew out a long breath as his promise caused her stomach—and her pussy—to clench. Her mind raced over everything that had happened on the stage. Parker hadn’t played anything according to the loosely orchestrated fantasy. All he was supposed to do was capture her with the other men. Have them hold her down as he had his wicked way with her.

  Well, he’d certainly mastered the wicked part. Between his toys, his sensuous touches and his hot commands, Becca had been putty in his hands. She’d actually come onstage—in front of God and everybody. And she’d be completely mortified by that fact if she weren’t so fucking horny and ready for more of the same right now. It was taking all the strength in her body not to straddle his hips and move in for round two. He’d made her hot enough she had no doubt she could go the full ten rounds tonight.

  Unfortunately, Parker had gone far beyond mere physical capture. He’d used her body—and her heart—against her, demanding more than a simple orgasm. He wanted a hell of a lot more. And that’s what was holding her back now.

  “Open your legs, Becca.”

  She jerked at his request, her gaze finding his. “What?”

  He gave her a crooked grin. “I think it’s time we take the toys out.”

  She closed her eyes, trying to find a way to batten down the hatches once more. She knew even as she did so, the action was pointless. She was a goner. Had been since the very first time Parker walked into Scoundrels looking for work as a waiter.

  Parker ran his finger along her cheek, waiting until she looked at him again. “Do as I say.”

  While he was an easygoing, fun-loving friend, it appeared those characteristics disappeared at the bedroom door.

  “Fine.” She was secretly pleased at the strength of her voice. Inside, she was a quivering jar of goo. She twisted on the seat until she faced him completely, then he tugged her thong off. She started to part her thighs, but Parker didn’t seem inclined to wait as he moved them apart with strong hands on her knees. He looked at her pussy like a ravenous wolf finding food for the first time after a long winter. It was then she remembered that while she’d had her orgasm onstage, her lover hadn’t.

  Her gaze drifted to his pants, to the obvious erection still straining through the denim. “Looks painful,” she teased.

  Parker chuckled. “You have no idea.”

  The conversation ended there as Parker ran his fingers along her opening. “Still wet, Bec?”

  She bit her lip. “You made a promise backstage before the show. I think it included your bedroom and an entire night of sex.”

  Parker groaned. “I don’t think we’re going to make it to the bedroom right away.” He dipped one, then two fingers inside her pussy, the light touches instantly sending sparks of electricity along her spine.

  He pressed the vibrator against her g-spot until she saw stars. She lifted her hips, trying to seek more stimulation, but Parker ended the game too soon as he tugged the vibrator out.

  “Come inside me,” she urged. In the dressing room, he’d given her only a brief taste of what it meant to be filled by him. It left her starving for more. A beggar at the feast.

  Parker dragged his fingers lower, gently stroking the sensitive skin around her anus. “The plug.”

  “Leave it in.”

  Parker’s eyes went black with desire at her request. “Bec.”

  She crooked her finger at him. Parker wasn’t the only one with a dominant streak when it came to bedroom games. If he expected a weak miss, he was destined for disappointment. “Do it.”

  His gaze narrowed, not with anger, but sheer hunger. He quickly shed his jeans and shoes, not bothering to remove the Scoundrels souvenir t-shirt he’d hastily donned before their escape from the fans. He leaned over
her, his cock brushing against her opening.

  Both of them were breathing heavily, ready. She’d been anticipating this moment since she’d found him sitting in the dark in the dressing room. Hell, who was she kidding? She’d wanted Parker in her bed and her body for four long years. At last, the wait was over.

  Or so she thought.

  Chapter Two

  Parker ran his cock along Becca’s wet slit. It would be so easy to simply thrust inside, to take her hard and fast. God knew that’s what every part of his body was rooting for. His balls were full to bursting, his cock aching from what had to be the longest erection in history. He’d been sporting this one for close to ninety minutes with only brief moments of stimulation and not a drop of damn relief.

  While he’d jacked off in the dressing room before the show, painting her pretty stomach with his come, that burst of pleasure was long since forgotten, a faded memory.

  Becca noticed his hesitance. “Parker, hurry up.”

  He loved the way she looked right now—her cheeks flushed, her nipples poking through the lingerie she’d worn onstage. Though he’d thrown a coat over her costume during their escape from the club, it lay open, sliding off her shoulders. Her hair was free from her typical ponytail, hanging loose and lying in waves on the leather seat. The rise and fall of her chest told him just how much she wanted him. She looked mussed up, well sexed and ready for more. She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  Most alluring, however, was the way she looked at him. Invited him to take her with come-hither eyes. It was heady, wonderful. For years he’d dreamed of this moment. Of the time when he would have a willing Becca lying beneath him, her arms and legs open in invitation.